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Link and redirect checker

See where a short link really goes

This link checker unshortens any short link on a server, without you opening it. It shows every redirect hop with its HTTP status, whether each hop used HTTPS, the final destination, and how long the final domain has been registered, following up to 5 redirects. It reports facts, not a safe or unsafe verdict.

  1. Paste a short link, such as a Bitly or sftl.in URL
  2. Select Trace
  3. Read the chain and the final destination before you open it

Follows up to 5 redirects. HTTPS and HTTP schemes only.

Final destination

Example

https://help.acme.com/guide?ref=producthunt

  • Every hop used HTTPS

Redirect chain (2)

  1. 1

    https://go.acme.com/promo9568

    HTTP 301 HTTPS redirect
  2. 2

    https://help.acme.com/guide?ref=producthunt

    HTTP 200 HTTPS

Every SwiftURL link is screened like this automatically, before it goes live, against Google Web Risk, an adult content filter, private IP and shortener-chain blocks, and a reachability check. Bad destinations are caught at creation, not discovered later.

Safe by default
The SwiftURL Link checks list: Google Web Risk, adult content, private IP, shortener chain and destination checks block a link; HTTPS, PII, domain age and URL validity flag it.

Why unshorten a link before you trust it

A short link hides its destination by design. That is convenient in a text message and useful for tracking, but it also means you cannot see where a link goes until you have already gone there. Expanding the link first, on a server rather than in your own browser, lets you inspect the whole journey without exposing your device, your IP, or your session to the final page.

What the redirect chain tells you

Most short links do not point straight at their destination. They pass through one or more hops: the shortener itself, sometimes an analytics or affiliate redirector, sometimes a second shortener stacked on the first. Each hop is a chance for something to change. This tool records every hop, the HTTP status code it returned, and whether it used HTTPS or fell back to plain HTTP. A chain that quietly drops to HTTP partway through, or that bounces through several unrelated domains, is worth a second look even when the final page seems fine.

Facts, not a scary label

Plenty of checkers will flash a red "unsafe" banner on any link they do not recognise. That is misleading and, applied to a legitimate business, unfair. This tool takes the opposite approach: it shows you the evidence and trusts you to read it. You get the full chain, the HTTPS state of each hop, the final host, and, where a public registry allows, how long that domain has been registered. A domain registered yesterday that arrives after three redirects deserves more caution than an established brand on a direct HTTPS link, and now you can tell the two apart yourself.

The better fix: safe by default

Checking a link after the fact is useful, but the stronger position is never publishing a bad one. That is how SwiftURL works: every destination is checked against Google Web Risk for malware and phishing, plus an adult content filter, private IP and shortener-chain blocks and a reachability check, before the link is allowed to go live, and links are health-monitored afterwards. See the compliant URL shortener and link health monitoring.

Frequently asked questions

How do I see where a short link really goes?

Paste the short link into this checker. It follows the redirect chain hop by hop on the server and shows every intermediate URL, the HTTP status at each step, whether each hop used HTTPS, and the final destination, without you having to click the link.

Can this expand Bitly, TinyURL, and other short links?

Yes. It works with any short link or redirect, including branded domains, because it follows standard HTTP redirects rather than relying on any one provider. It stops after five hops to keep results fast.

Does it tell me if a link is safe?

It reports facts, not verdicts: the full chain, the HTTPS state of each hop, the final host, and how long that domain has been registered. It deliberately does not label third-party links "unsafe" from thin signals. You see the evidence and decide.

Is my check private?

There is no signup and nothing is tied to an account. Results are cached briefly at the edge only so the same link is not re-fetched on repeated checks.

How does SwiftURL prevent bad links in the first place?

Every SwiftURL link is checked before it goes live: Google Web Risk for malware and phishing, an adult content filter, private IP and shortener-chain blocks, and a reachability check, so a dangerous destination is caught at creation time. See the compliant URL shortener.